


Azalea

by Julia_Rook



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Anal Sex, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Drama, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Love/Hate, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Public Sex, no magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:34:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julia_Rook/pseuds/Julia_Rook
Summary: He has my heart. Every time I see them together, he throws it under his feet and tramples it mercilessly, grinning.But I come back to him again and again. And I can tell that if my love for him is making me lose my mind, the passion between us is killing us both.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Camille Belcourt
Kudos: 15





	Azalea

**Author's Note:**

> {Azalea (flower) is a symbol of fragility, meekness, restraint, devotion, but also - passion and sadness. People usually give it before an unwanted separation. In Japan, the azalea is called a "passion-intoxicating flower."}  
> Each chapter is a flower with its meaning, which reflects the feelings of the characters.
> 
> English isn't my native language, so there may be a lot of mistakes. Sorry.

R̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶r̶n̶s̶ - L̶̶̶o̶̶̶v̶̶̶e̶̶̶ ̶̶̶a̶̶̶t̶̶̶ ̶̶̶f̶̶̶i̶̶̶r̶̶̶s̶̶̶t̶̶̶ ̶̶̶s̶̶̶i̶̶̶g̶̶̶h̶̶̶t̶̶̶

"The Green Fairy*, please," somebody sat down on the next chair, and Alec, startled, raised his head and looked at the stranger in surprise.

The man, noticing the barmaid's confusion, coughed busily.

"Don't tell me you don't know what it is," He chuckled.

"I'm sorry...just ...wait a minute." At the Bar Phoenix, the clients always ordered a whiskey with cola, a beer, or a mojito. Even Alec himself was sitting and drinking ordinary ale.

The barmaid began to prepare a cocktail, and Lightwood was surprised at how professional it looked. The brown-haired woman quickly mixed liqueur with vodka, tequila, and other alcohol. Then she added berries, ice cubes, and it looked so impressive that Alec gasped. The barmaid smiled and handed the cocktail to the client. She loved her job, but the customers didn't often make such unusual orders. It took about seven minutes to make, but it was worth it.  
The man nodded gratefully, immediately handed the money to the girl. She smiled and hurried to the other customers.

"You look upset."

Alec turned to the man, being surprised. His tone was both soft and confident, and the Asian himself looked quite extraordinary: he had a hairdo in the form of spikes, eyeliner, cat-eye lenses, a dark green shirt, and tight dark gray pants. Lightwood had no particular desire to continue a conversation with a stranger, especially with the one that looked so extravagant. He glanced briefly at the dance floor, where his sister and her friend were hanging out, and then looked back at the man.

"Clubs aren't my thing." Alec took a sip of ale from his glass. The music started to annoy him. He didn't know what to do with himself, and this place seemed to him very dull.

The man watched him with interest, noting to himself that the dark-haired guy was cute. Although he was dressed up too simple for the club: banal black pants and a denim shirt didn't look at all on him. But the guy looked innocent, that was quite interesting. While looking around, the dark-haired guy probably didn't feel like a fish in the water. He was embarrassed, but, as the man thought, waited for something. 

"Beautiful cocktail," said Alec. The stranger raised his eyebrows at this and rested his chin on his palm. Lightwood looked at the Green Fairy, and the Asian ran a finger over the glass of cold green liquid, lightly scratching the wall with a black-painted nail. The man pushed the cocktail a little away from him and noticed how the guy looked at him in amazement, apparently not understanding his actions.

"To feel the softness of the "Green Fairy, you have to wait for a little bit." The stranger spoke with confidence, and Alec realized he probably knew how to make cocktails. He remembered the barmaid mixing tequila, rum, vodka, and various liqueurs.

"This," Alec said, pointing to the glass, "is a pretty creepy concoction.

"Yes. About seventy degrees," The man answered casually, and Lightwood choked on his ale. "Alcohol combined with energy drinks gives an unpredictable result, but I want to forget myself."

Alec ignored the strange desire to ask the man why his voice had faltered in the last sentence. The Asian pulled his drink toward himself and drank three-quarters of it at once, surprising Lightwood even more.

"If the clubs aren't your thing, then why are you here?" The stranger looked at Alec and made him feel uneasy.

"Sister," the student started to explain. "She brought me here because she thought I needed to relax." Alec looked back at the dance floor, but the girl wasn't there. Looking around the entire club, he finally saw his sister talking to her friend Clary. Isabelle waved and winked at him, nodding toward the stranger. Alec looked embarrassed, turning away and pretending not to take the hint.

"You're probably bored, but you stay because of the fear of leaving her alone?" Asked the man. Lightwood only nodded. The stranger made a vague gesture with his hand, looking at the barmaid, and in a few minutes, another Green Fairy appeared on the bar counter. The man pushed the glass toward Alec. "It will make you feel better. " Asian smiled gently.

"Um, thank you?" Alec reached into his pocket for the money, but the stranger put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"You don't have to pay back. It's free."

"You don't have to..." Alec tried again, but the man's grip tightened, and Lightwood bit his lip, not knowing how to stop being embarrassed. They haven't even told each other their names yet. Their knees were touching, and it seemed that the Asian wasn't going to let go of his hand.

"I insist."

Alec conceded defeat in their brief battle. He was uncomfortable but still pleased. There was something strange in the air as if something had to be said to make it easier.

"Alec Lightwood." He introduced himself. The stranger finally let go of his hand and grinned.

"Magnus Bane."

Alec repeated the name in his head several times, and it was beautiful, yes. And Magnus himself was handsome. Alec didn't notice that he was staring at the man.

"Drink it." Magnus gestured toward the cocktail and got up from his chair to go for a dance. Alec hesitantly touched the Green Fairy and sipped it. His throat burned immediately, but the cocktail tasted so good that he didn't even notice how he drank it all. Lightwood fell into the music, became much more comfortable, and ordered more, starting to chat with the barmaid Maia.

The only good thing was that time seemed to speed up, and Alec relaxed. It felt like if he got to his feet now, he would immediately fall. The brain began to shut down, but before that, the student managed to order two more cocktails, which it was better not to drink. Often glancing at his sister, he flipped through the news on social media and managed to draw on a napkin. Alec was sitting alone since Maia had left to take orders, but he didn't feel lonely anymore. A couple of times, he searched for Magnus and found him dancing. Alec kept his eyes on the beautiful movements of the man's body but soon turned himself away.

In his heart, he wanted Magnus to return to the bar. There was a desire to get to know him better, and the hungry glances of other people at the body, which had already managed to unbutton his shirt, caused a strange feeling of anger.

Alec flinched as someone touched his shoulder. The unknown young man sat down next to him. Lightwood looked him over and rolled his eyes. The stranger was drunk. He had earrings, but his makeup seemed very provocative.

"Are you bored, pretty boy?" The voice was so confident that Alec snorted. The young man pulled a chair closer and smiled drunkenly. "I can offer you something interesting."

Lightwood drew back, frowning. The stranger reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Alec hated cigarettes but didn't show it.

"I'm okay like that." That sounded rude, but it should have conveyed that it was desirable to leave.

"Oh, don't be shy. I saw the way you looked at me," the stranger chuckled and put his hands on Alec's hips. Lightwood rolled his eyes, realizing that the young man thought he was looking at him. Alec took a deep breath and pulled away, wincing. The stranger wrapped his arms around his neck, and Alec had to push him away more roughly. 

Someone laughed, and Lightwood turned, blushing when he saw Magnus with his shirt open, revealing his body glistening with sweat. Alec swallowed and pushed his chair away from the stranger, feeling even more uncomfortable with Bane next to him.

"Raj, somebody's waiting for you," Magnus said, drawing the young man's attention to himself. Raj immediately jumped up when he saw a client standing next to the VIP rooms, and after glancing at Alec, he left.

"Does he...?" Lightwood watched in surprise as Raj entered the room together with a bearded man in a suit. He didn't want to finish his thought. Bane buttoned up his shirt and sat down again on the barstool next to him.

"Yes, they provide such services here."

Alec didn't say anything in response. He winced at the thought of someone making money from sex.

"He's not your type, right?"

Alec gripped the bar with his fingers, hoping Magnus wouldn't notice.

"Don't make excuses. There's nothing wrong with it. You don't have to admit it to me," The Asian shrugged, clearly giving him a choice. Only his brother and sister knew that Lightwood was interested in men. They didn't mind, which certainly pleased him, but he still wanted to tell his parents.

"I-I'm...gay." It was easy to tell Magnus, probably because they just had met. But if Magnus realized he was gay, then it meant that he noticed Alec's eyes on him. Lightwood hesitated and pushed his half-finished drink away from him, trying to calm himself. A napkin popped out from under the glass, and Bane snorted when he saw it.

"Seriously, you're the first person who draws on a napkin out of boredom when they're in a club," Alec looked at Magnus, and, okay, he had a great smile. "Is that a rose?"

"Yes," the student said quickly and flipped the napkin to the other side. He drew the flower with a pen he took out of his backpack, and some of the strokes blurred.

"Is it a symbol of something?" The Asian asked, adjusting the ring he had on his finger. Lightwood shook his head. He didn't remember, to be honest, but he had a notebook at home from his first year, where he wrote down the meanings of flowers and created first sketches, so then obviously he would have to check what a rose without thorns means. 

"Cool tattoo," Magnus noticed it as soon as he saw Alec but only now decided to give a compliment. The unusual pattern looked attractive on the long neck. The blush that flared on Lightwood's cheeks made Magnus grin.

"Thank you."

Alec didn't know what else to say, but he wanted to continue the conversation. He thought about complimenting Magnus too, but here's the thing — look at this guy, he's just perfect. What exactly should he praise?

"I'm sorry if I wasn't tactful when I said you were gay."

"Ah," Lightwood said uncertainly. "It's all right. Well, and you...?" The student decided to ask if Bane was interested in men just like he was. When Magnus heard the question, he stared intently at his shoes and bit his lip.

"Magnus..." Alec tried to get his attention, and the man looked up. His name, coming from Lightwood's mouth, sounded quite beautiful.

"What?" Bane asked, pretending not to understand.

"...Forget it," Lightwood muttered, still feeling embarrassed to ask.

"I'm bisexual, if that's what you mean," Magnus met his gaze and nodded back.

"Thanks for the trust," Alec awkwardly scratched his head. Bane decided not to embarrass him more and fell silent but continued to stare.

"What institution do you study at?" Lightwood asked. Magnus looked like he'd been of legal age for a long time, but he was clearly under thirty. His face was smooth, not a hint of beard or anything else, but Alec imagined him with stubble and realized that it would add a couple of years to him.

"The same university as you, finishing my senior year. Recently, I transferred from Manhattan." 

"So you're not from New York," Alec said, a little surprised.

"I'm from New York. I transferred to Manhattan for a year and came back." Alec stiffened slightly.

"Did you see me at the institute since you say so confidently that we study in the same university?"

"Yes, I've seen you a couple of times. And I thought you'd recognize me. There are a lot of rumors about my person.

"I'm not interested in gossip, you know. I'm focused on studying. But you remember me after seeing me only a couple of times?"

"I didn't recognize you at first, but then I realized that your face was familiar." Magnus reached up to touch the guy's forehead and smoothed a strand of hair that had fallen out of his bangs. Alec was glad that he didn't flinch at the unexpected touch but only looked down at the lips that were close to his own.

"If I'd met you, I wouldn't have been able to forget you," the words came out before Lightwood could stop himself. He glanced at Magnus, who smiled and pulled his chair closer. Alec blushed and bit his lip, looking at the man's face and feeling the same curious gaze on him. He finally began to understand people who had affairs with people they barely knew. Because, right now, Lightwood wanted to touch the man, even though it wasn't like him at all. He shouldn't have thought about touching this man, should he?

Alec had always been sure that it was impossible to fall in love with someone he'd met a couple of hours ago, but he couldn't stop looking into Magnus's eyes. Bane was just so handsome. It was a pleasure to look at him, and listening to his voice was as pleasant as being next to him and inhaling the scent of perfume with a woody note. All thoughts disappeared from his head, forcing him only to stare at the man sitting nearly.

Okay, stop, Alec.

The vibration of the phone in his pocket made him wince.

«I don't have to report to you, but if I didn't write to you, you'd go crazy. Clary and I are going home, and I hope you pick up that hot Asian guy's number. Don't miss the chance, big brother!»  
Alec frowned as he read the text message from his sister. She'd already left the club, and he hadn't even noticed. Bravo, Lightwood, you are very responsible!

"I have to go," Alec whispered, but Magnus heard him anyway because he was sitting close.

"Do you need a ride?" The question caught Alec off guard, and as he jumped up from his chair, he felt a faint hope of prolonging his contact with the man, so he nodded curtly.

"My house isn't far," he said, but he knew it didn't sound like a rejection. Bane quickly drained his glass, placed the money on the bar, and took the other man's elbow as they headed out. Lightwood didn't try to pull away, but he couldn't help glancing at the other's hand.

They left the building. The cool air was refreshing, and Alec lifted his head and exhaled loudly, feeling better outside. The sky was dark, he felt tired, and his legs were barely moving.

Damn, I'm fucking drunk.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Alec closed his eyes, pausing. Magnus looked at him excitedly and, after a moment, pulled him closer. Lightwood felt warm hands on his waist, and he would have liked to snuggle closer to the man, but a little bit of conscience inside him woke up, so he opened his eyes and nodded confidently.

Alec hadn't even asked if Magnus was single. They had spent a wonderful evening together, even were flirting, but such flirting, built on mutual licking each other with glances and compliments, usually doesn't lead to anything good. And in Lightwood's life, this was the first experience at all since he had never met a person who he wanted to get to know better.

Holy shit, Alec, there he is, standing in front of you, right here, don't miss a chance.

Magnus took the student's hand and led him to the car. Alec thanked him quietly and got inside the expensive car uncertainly, immediately looking up to see the man start the car.  
Alec gave the address and turned to the window, looking at the Asian man in the reflection. He drove with concentration, rarely turning his head to look at Alec. Lightwood leaned back in his seat and waited for the arrival, barely able to keep from dozing off.  
When the car finally stopped, Alec let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you very much," He said and was about to open the door when a hand landed on his wrist, forcing him to stop. Lightwood remembered Isabel's text message. 

Should I ask Magnus for a phone number?

"Thank you for brightening up my evening," Bane smiled charmingly and leaned toward him. Alec raised his eyebrows. You're the one who brightened my evening, Lightwood thought.

The Asian man brushed his lips over his cheek and slowly pulled away. The distance between them was so small that Alec was the first to lose control and reach for Magnus. His heart was pounding furiously, but Lightwood knew that the only thing he wanted right now was to feel Bane's lips on his own. Their noses faced each other, and Alec hesitated for a second before touching the man's mouth in an innocent little kiss. The Asian snuggled closer, but Alec had already pulled away, closing his eyes.

"I… I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry," Lightwood jerked the handle, opened the door, and ran out of the car, trying to convince himself that he hadn't heard the man's" Alec!"

***

Damn.

He hit the punching bag with all his strength. For the first time in his life since Jace had moved out of the apartment, he needed it.

Such an idiot.

Alec didn't only kiss a man he had known for only two hours, but he also cowardly ran away, apologizing, although he didn't regret what he had done.

Okay, Magnus. A beautiful, polite man with a gorgeous smile. But you can't get to know a person in a hundred and twenty minutes. Magnus wasn't what he seemed, but it wasn't repulsive — on the contrary, it was attractive because Alec wanted to know what he was hiding in himself and who he was.

Now, of course, that was impossible. Although there was a chance that Magnus and Alec would meet at the institute, Lightwood could tell that if he saw Bane, he would immediately blush and turn away, pretending that they didn't know each other.  
Hundreds of thoughts swarmed in his head. Lightwood cursed and got ready for bed. His body was tired, and while lying on a soft bed lit only by the faint moonlight, Alec pulled the covers over him, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

The weekend passed quickly. It seemed to the Lightwood that he didn't live but existed, moving around the apartment, talking without any emotion on the phone with his family, eating food that didn't go down his throat. Memories haunted him, and it even seemed to that the shirt he had worn at the club had retained a faint smell of Magnus. And that was too damn bad. Alec needed to stop thinking about it, but he couldn't. Closing his eyes, the student imagined Bane and lips pressed to his cheek in a short kiss.

The complementary task that Lightwood had to prepare helped him take his thoughts away from the man and make his brain work.

Easy, Alec. You can suffer from a stupid lo̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶s̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ sympathy then but now focus on work.

Mr. Aldertree liked his speech and asked Lightwood to transfer the presentation to his desktop. Alec, feeling glad that everything went well, calmly agreed to fulfill the teacher's request. The bell rang, the students began to disperse and, Mr. Aldertree, clearly having some urgent business, handed Lightwood the keys and told the student to close the office after himself. Alec, poring over the computer, expected the door to slam after the man left. Instead of that, another person appeared in the room. Alec flinched and turned his head, seeing Magnus talking with Mr. Aldertree. Bane was puzzled and frowned as he listened to the teacher. His chocolate-colored eyes swept the audience and settled on Alec. Magnus looked surprised, but then a soft smile appeared on his face. Lightwood hurried to turn away and finish his task.

When the presentation was on the desktop, Lightwood picked up his bag and turned around, giving a startled gasp when the Asian man appeared in front of him. The slamming of the door indicated that the teacher had left them alone.

"Hello, Alexander," Bane said. Alec suddenly realized that for the first time, the sound of his name was so pleasant.

"Um... hi," Lightwood took a step to the side, intending to go around the Asian, but he blocked the way with his body. Alec started to step in the other direction, but Magnus stopped him again and even came closer. "I'm sorry, but could you…"

"You left so quickly then," Bane interrupted, ignoring his attempts to leave the room, and reached for the man's white shirt, adjusting the collar. Alec immediately blushed. Magnus took a pen out of his bag and quickly wrote down his phone number, handing it to Lightwood, who took it automatically.

"Sorry, I did something I shouldn't have."

Alec only had time to gasp in surprise when Magnus took a step toward him and, unceremoniously, claimed his mouth with a kiss. Lightwood backed away, bracing his body against the table, but the man followed him and grabbed the back of his neck with his hand, burying fingers in the soft black hair. Alec kissed him back.

He hadn't known Magnus for long, but he'd already realized that he fell for him. The fingers tremble when Lightwood hesitantly squeezed the man's waist. Feelings started to overwhelm when their lips moved in unison. Heart accelerated its rhythm and was ready to jump out of the chest.

Pulling Magnus closer with his hand, Alec enjoyed the way their lips moved erratically and the way their breaths mingled, increasing the temperature in the air.

Because of the lack of air, he had to pull away, slightly throwing back his head and breathing rapidly. Bane licked his lips, and the student followed the gesture. Damn it, someone, please, hit him on the head. They were still standing in the same position — Lightwood, his body being pressed into the wooden desk by Bane.

The silence was becoming oppressive. Alec heard Magnus run his hand over the table, and one of his rings scraped it with a nasty sound. Lightwood was about to say something when the phone rang and, Bane abruptly pulled out of his embrace.

"Magnus, where are you?"

"I'm at the institute, and you?" Alec could only hear his answers.

"I'm here, too. I'm going to meet Helen, and then I think we'll go to the restaurant that had opened in the center. Are you coming with us?"

"Mmm... probably not. There are some problems with the transfer of documents, and, of course, on Monday evening, no one wants to solve them.

He wasn't lying. Many lazy people worked in the university's department. Bane even wanted to give them money to speed up the transfer process.

"All right, love." Magnus imagined Camilla smiling as she said those words, and he smiled too. Bane said goodbye to her and looked around the room. Alec had already put his things in the bag and walked to the door, intending to open it. "Hey!

Lightwood was annoyed by the soft tone Magnus was using when talking to someone, but he sincerely hoped that the man just had good manners and that the kiss that had happened between them meant something.

"You don't even want to say goodbye?" Alec took a deep breath.

"Bye..?" He shrugged vaguely, not sure what to do next. Magnus snorted in response.

"See you soon, Alexander," Bane giggled, stroked the student's cheek, and opened the door to the corridor with a smile. "Text me," Magnus winked at him again.

Lightwood's going to have the guts to do it. But right now, Alec stood and watched Bane walk away.

Fuck. Did he fall in love?

**Author's Note:**

> *The Green Fairy is a super-strength cocktail based on six types of alcohol and energy. The name of the cocktail is due to the absinthe included in the composition. The absinthe also provides the herbal taste of the drink. Blue Curacao and melon liqueur are responsible for the sweetness. The increased strength "Green Fairy" has thanks to tequila, vodka, and rum.


End file.
